


One Man, One Goal

by WaffleDogOfficial



Series: Naruto Sci-Fi Week 2019 [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe- Dystopian, Attempted Murder, Canon-Typical Violence, Day 7- Dystopian, Found Family, Gen, Jinchuuriki-centric, Naruto Sci-Fi Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21555661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaffleDogOfficial/pseuds/WaffleDogOfficial
Summary: As a kid, Han dreamed about running away from his problems. As an adult, he's the problem that everyone is running from.
Relationships: Gobi | Five-tails | Kokuou & Han, Han & Jinchuuriki, Han & Roshi
Series: Naruto Sci-Fi Week 2019 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548175
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Naruto Sci-fi Week 2019





	One Man, One Goal

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for Naruto Sci-fi Week Day 7. I followed the “Dystopian” prompt and made jinchuuriki cyborg assassins.

Han turned back when he saw Roshi’s distinctive red hair inside the otherwise empty bar. He stepped inside and walked to his friend’s side.

“A pint of whatever you have on tap,” Han ordered as he sat at the stool next to Roshi’s 

“Coming right up, sir,” the bartender answered, voice shaking at being in the presence of two vessels.

Roshi grunted in acknowledgment, keeping his eyes focused on the glass in front of him. Based on Roshi’s posture, Han could tell he had already gone through a few glasses before he arrived. They sat together in silence until the bartender placed the full glass under Han’s nose.

Han took a sip. _This beer sucks. No wonder the bar is empty._ The two men sat together in silence, sipping at their beer.

“What do you want, Han?” Roshi finally asked, looking up into his eyes.

Han shrugged. “Nothing. I just saw you from outside and thought you looked a little lonely. Anything interesting happen?”

Roshi shook his head. “No, but the boss is busting my balls. The last mission was a pain.”

“How so?” Han asked. He hummed thoughtfully as he took another sip.

“I had to kill someone in the last one,” Roshi admitted. “It wasn’t pretty. A lot of begging and blubbering. I tried to make it quick, but there’s something sad about a grown man crying out for his mother.” He chugged his beer. Han watched as some of the liquid dribbled down Roshi’s beard.

“That bad?” Roshi nodded and Han grunted in sympathy.

“What did 4 say?” Han asked curiously. While Han could usually collaborate with the AI software installed into his brain, Roshi’s system was much more temperamental. However, they worked astonishingly well together on missions.

Roshi shrugged. “Same old, same old. He made fun of me as always. I still had the boss tear into me for hesitating though.”

Han winced sympathetically. Danzo was strict at best, even during his rare good moods. The man hated insurrection, real or perceived, more than anything else. A momentary hesitation was more than enough to warrant a visit to the Torture & Investigation Department. _No wonder Roshi came here to drown his sorrows._

Han was about to offer his sympathies when he heard a small beep. An urgent message alert flashed across his vision.

‘ _Han, General Danzo has asked for your immediate presence in his office. He says it can’t wait_.’ Kokuo-5’s feminine voice interrupted.

‘ _What does he want?_ ’ he asked impatiently as he read the summons floating in front of his eyes.

‘ _I have no idea. He only says it’s urgent_.’

With a heavy sigh, Han stood up from his stool. He downed the rest of the drink and slammed the glass down on the counter. He slapped a bill that was more than generous for the mediocre beer as payment.

“Boss wants something,” Han explained when he saw Roshi’s curious look. “Says it’s urgent. I have to go. See you soon.”

Roshi grunted and nodded. “See you,” he answered, giving Han a wan smile. “When you come back, we can drown our sorrows together. I doubt the boss has an easy mission lined up for you.”

Han snorted. “Never.”

With those words, Han left the bar and leaped up onto the roofs. He could arrive at Danzo’s office faster than through the streets full of people. However, there were other reasons. 

People always gave him and his fellow vessels a wide berth, no matter what he was doing. Han understood why. Vessels were physically much stronger than anyone else, even the few others who had received cybernetic augmentations. A fully trained vessel could tear someone’s head off and barely break a sweat.

Han was one of the few vessels to survive more than a month after implantation and the first to have gained any kind of control over a Tailed Beast AI. Roshi had followed soon after, although he was never able to obtain the same degree of compatibility as Han.

With the control he had over his AI, Han was stronger than anyone else. He could also combine water with his body heat to create steam. His steam was capable of melting the skin off of people or boosting his already considerable strength and speed. He was also resilient, his body able to be broken apart and repaired like an android.

On top of his physical capabilities, he had Kokuo-5 in his mind, processing for him and providing information he would not be able to know otherwise. The AI had its own personality, but they were able to work well together, unlike Roshi and Son Goku-4.

Han jumped through the roofs and tunnels of the city until he reached Danzo’s office. Without hesitating, he jumped through the window and knelt down, prostrating before Danzo.

“You called for me, sir?” Han asked. Despite kneeling, he could almost meet Danzo in the eye. _The benefits of being tall._

“Yes, Han,” Danzo said. “I have a mission for you. Roshi just returned from his last one, so it’s your turn now. You are the best of what we have. Loyal to a fault.”

“Of course, sir,” Han replied, face an emotionless mask.

Danzo nodded in approval. 

“Your mission is as such,” Danzo began. “Earlier this morning, one of our untrained vessels escaped, the holder of Chomei-7. You are to find it and convince it to return to us willingly.”

“Willingly?” Han asked.

“Yes,” the old general continued. “If it resists, you are to kill it and bring back its body, and most importantly, the Chomei-7 program.”

Han felt a shiver run down his back. “Why would killing it be necessary?” he asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to simply find it and bring it back?”

Danzo shook his head. “It would be easier,” he admitted. “But if you return the vessel back forcefully, it will simply escape again. A soldier that does not follow orders must be eliminated.”

Han could feel the threat underneath his statement. _If you fail me, you will also be eliminated._

“Of course sir, I understand,” Han said. “Do we have coordinates on its location?”

Danzo nodded, a rare smile tugging at his lips. “We do. I will send the coordinates through Kokuo-5.”

Danzo looked down at his cybernetic arm. He pulled up a holographic interface and pressed a few keys. A second later, an overlay of the escaped vessel’s location danced across Han’s vision. 

“I have received the coordinates,” Han said. “I will find it and return as soon as possible.”

“You best,” Danzo said. “You must leave now.”

Han bowed his head as a final form of respect before standing up and moving to the window. He jumped out, landing in the middle of a crowd. The people jumped back, terrified and shouting, but Han was used to their fear. He ignored them and began to run down the street toward the city exits.

He ignored the small voice in his head making him feel guilty about killing a fellow vessel. As a child still in training, he had dreamed about running away. As an adult, he had no other choice. Han always followed orders, no matter what. He had killed Danzo’s enemies without hesitation before, both in public and secret ways. Killing an escaped vessel would be no different.

The people gave him a wide berth as he walked purposefully to the exit. The guards at the gate barely spared him a glance before letting him through. One of the benefits of being Danzo’s favorite tool was passing through any barrier without question.

Outside of the city gates, he entered the old forest. Trees covered the land, making him feel small for once. He ran for a few minutes before pausing to take in his surroundings and check the coordinates once again.

He breathed in deeply, enjoying the markedly cleaner air than in the city. 

‘ _Which direction, 5?’_ Han asked his AI.

‘ _12 degrees east from your current position,_ ’ Kokuo-5 answered. ‘ _If you keep this pace, you will reach the other vessel before sunset.'_

‘ _It traveled very far for an untrained vessel,’_ Han commented as he started to make his way in the direction Kokuo had stated.

‘ _The vessels of Chomei-7 are able to fly,_ ’ she explained.

‘ _Fly? Does that mean that the vessel already has some control over the Chomei-7 AI?_ ’

‘ _Possibly,_ ’ she said. ‘ _Although it doesn’t line up with Danzo’s statement that it’s an untrained vessel._ ’

Han hummed worriedly to himself. If the vessel already had control over its AI, it might not be so easy to convince it to come back with him. A fight might be difficult, too. It was rare but not unheard of for vessels to fight each other. It usually ended in mutual death. 

He kept running silently, leaping through the trees and underbrush, focused on his mission.

‘ _The vessel has stopped,_ ’ Kokuo-5 said a few hours later.

‘ _Stopped?_ ’

‘ _It has probably set up camp. It’s nearing nightfall soon._ ’

‘ _How far away is it?’_

‘ _Less than an hour. Approach it slowly._ ’

Han slowed down. He moved gingerly, sneaking through the forest without making a sound. As he walked, he compared his position with the coordinates of the escaped vessel on the map interface projected across his vision. 

‘ _Only thirty meters away,_ ’ Kokuo-5 said.

Han jumped up into the tree’s canopy. He needed to survey the situation first if the escaped vessel had any level of control over its AI. It would also give him the advantage of the element of surprise.

 _‘Twenty meters_ ,’ she said.

Han nodded, although he knew that Kokuo-5 would not be able to see. He summoned the implanted thermal camera as he traveled through the canopy.

He found the vessel of Chomei-7 effortlessly. It was washing its hands in a nearby river and singing to itself. He turned off the thermal vision and moved closer. 

He saw his target for the first time. For the entirety of his mission, he had imagined an older teenager, perhaps a young man, who had escaped from his handlers in a show of teenage rebellion. 

Instead, he saw a young girl, perhaps eight years old at the most. She had her back to him, but Han could see her short teal green hair. She knelt at the bank of the river, singing cheerfully as she washed her hands and collected water.

‘ _Danzo wants me to kill a little girl?_ ’ Han asked. ‘ _He’s asked me to do some unsavory things before but this is the worst one yet._ ’

‘ _Apparently so,_ ’ Kokuo-5 replied. ‘ _Her coordinates match the ones we received from her tracking device._ ’

‘ _Do you think I’ll be able to convince her to come back with us?’_

‘ _It doesn’t hurt to try.'_

Despite the optimistic words, Han could tell Kokuo-5 didn’t believe them. Nevertheless, he had a mission to complete. He prepared to attack, moving through the canopy as silently as a ghost. However, to his absolute shock, as soon as he was ready to jump down, two other children joined the girl.

They were younger than her by a few years. One was a blond boy with whisker marks on his face. Next to him was another boy, red-headed with some strange marking on his forehead. Unlike the blond, his smile was more discreet. The two boys greeted his target as they approached her at the river banks.

“We found some branches, Fuu!” the blond boy said. “We can make a fire now, right?”

“Yeah! That’s great, Naruto! But I think we need more.” With that statement, the girl turned around, giving Han a view of her face for the first time.

She looked even younger than from behind. Her eyes were wide, orange, and cheerful. She grinned at the younger boys as she took their offered branches in her arms.

“Can we cook some fish?” the red-headed boy asked. “I’m getting hungry.”

“I hope so! We can try to catch some together! How does that sound, boys?”

The two boys nodded, throwing their collected branches down on the ground.

The sight of the children together sent a wave of guilt into Han’s heart. No matter how much he didn’t want to do it, however, he knew that he could kill the girl without hesitation. He wasn’t Danzo’s favorite vessel without reason.

The girl took off her shoes and walked into the river when Han swooped down.

“You, girl,” he said, landing behind her. The girl spun around, eyes full of fear. The two boys screamed next to her. Han put his arms up in front of his chest, pretending to mean no harm. _I will try diplomacy first._

“Wh-who are you?” the girl shouted, pulling the other two boys behind her in a futile attempt to protect them.

“My name is Han,” he said. “Danzo has sent me to find you and take you back to the city.”

At the mention of Danzo, the girl and the boys flinched, taking a step back.

“We-we’re not going back to the city!” she shouted, taking another step back.

Han frowned. “I won’t hurt you. You just have to come back with me.”

His words only seemed to move her farther back. From the corner of his eye, he could see the girl making a small signal with her right hand. Whatever the sign meant, the boys’ faces paled as they crowded closer together.

“We’re never going back!” the girl declared, pushing the boys farther behind her. “I would rather die than let any of us be used! You’re a vessel too, right? You should understand what we want!”

“We?” Han asked. “Are those two kids behind you also vessels?”

Their reaction was enough of an answer. The three children in front of him gulped. The girl at the front shuddered, obviously cursing herself for accidentally revealing such a key piece of information to an enemy.

“Come back,” Han said, wanting to plead and beg with them. “If you don’t come willingly, I’ve been ordered to kill you.”

“Then kill me,” she dared.

“Please, girl, I don’t want to have to do this,” he tried to ask one last time.

Some emotion flitted across the girl’s eyes, but she was resolute. She only shook her head, daring him to attack. He sighed. He had no other choice but to take her life. He could admire her bravery at the very least. 

He didn’t announce his attack. One second, Han was standing near the forest and the next, he was running toward the girl. 

Everything broke into chaos at once. Han ran toward the girl, extending his hand out to run through her body, straight through the heart. The girl opened her mouth, but instead of hearing a scream, Han’s eyes were blinded by a sudden flash of light.

Han stopped with a scream of pain, his hands instinctively covering his eyes.

‘ _Fuck! What the hell is this?’_ he asked Kokuo-5.

‘ _Vessels of Chomei-7 can create bright light to blind and disorient their enemies,_ ’ Kokuo-5 answered.

‘ _Why didn’t you warn me earlier?’_ Han asked, rubbing at his eyes.

Kokuo-5 didn’t answer. He took his hands away from his face. With his enhancements, his vision was already recovering, although it remained blurry around the edges. The girl had tried to run, but she was not far enough away to escape, although the boys were gone.

Before the girl had managed to run more than a few meters, Han had caught her by the forearm. She protested vehemently, trying in vain to escape, biting, kicking, and scratching, but it was no use. Han was much bigger and stronger.

“I’ll make it quick, girl,” Han promised. He knew exactly where to aim for a fast death that would not affect the Chomei-7 AI. _Directly through the heart._

The girl burst into tears, but Han hardened his heart and will. He had completed more unsavory missions than he could count. Killing a crying girl would only be the newest in a long line of unpleasantness.

“No! No! Please! Don’t kill me! I don’t want to die!” she pleaded once she realized trying to fight his grip was impossible. “I need to take care of Gaara and Naruto. They need me... Please..”

She looked up at him, eyes full of tears. Han felt his body tense at the sight of her face, but there was nothing he could do. He had a mission and he was going to complete it. 

Han looked down at the pleading girl for the last time. Despite her augmentations, her arm was bruised from the force of trying to pull her arm away. She tried biting him, but he had received much worse injuries in much more difficult missions. _Killing her is too easy._

“I’m sorry, little one,” Han said, voice full of pity. “There is nothing I can do to help. You should have come with me.”

Han pulled her closer. With one hand, he took control of both of her arms as he lifted her up. Her eyes widened further in fear as she tried in vain to kick him. He could feel her pulse beating frantically through the sensors implanted in the palms of his hands. She was terrified, but nevertheless, she looked into his eyes in challenge.

“At least Naruto and Gaara got away,” she said. Despite the terror, she smiled. 

“They will be re-captured,” he replied, hating the truth.

As much as part of him wished for the boys to run away and make their own lives, there was no way for Danzo not to go searching for them. They would either become yet another tool in Danzo’s armory or a corpse. Han wondered which was preferable. 

The girl shook her head, trying to pull herself out of Han’s grip one last time. “They’re going to find Hagoromo,” she said. “Kurama-9 knows where he is.”

‘ _The Creator?’_ Kokuo-5 asked, speaking after being silent for so long. ‘ _Kurama knows where he is?_ ’

‘ _Hagoromo is dead,_ ’ Han replied. 

It was impossible for Hagoromo to be alive. The Creator had made the nine AI systems over a hundred years ago. No one had seen the Creator since the original nine systems were spread throughout the world. Many had tried, but despite advances in technology, no one had ever been able to replicate his creations.

“That’s impossible,” Han said to the girl. “Hagoromo has been dead for a hundred years.”

The girl shook her head and grimaced, tears in her eyes. “Not impossible. Just unlikely. He’s going to keep us safe. That’s why me and Naruto and Gaara are going to find him.”

Han looked at the girl, feeling his heart filling with pity. _You gave your life for an impossible dream._ He pulled her up by the arms using one hand. He moved his other hand to his side. The girl shrieked at the pain, but she could do nothing.

“I’m sorry,” Han said. Despite his conviction, he hesitated. He knew he had to kill her. He knew how easy it would be. All he needed to do was run his hand through her heart. She wouldn’t have to suffer. He moved his free arm back to gather momentum and readied to attack. 

A burst of steam ran through Han’s armor, burning his arm and causing him to instinctively drop the girl at the pain and surprise. The girl fell, freed from his grip. She landed on the ground with a surprised yelp.

‘ _Kokuo!’_ he yelled at his AI. He could not understand what had compelled her to stop the attack.

Kokuo ignored him. Surprisingly, she took control of his vocal cords to speak for him, something she had never done before. “The creator?” she asked the girl. Instead of Han’s deep grumble, Kokuo-5’s gentle voice came out.

The girl blinked, her mouth open in surprise. She seemed to realize that Han’s AI had taken control because she nodded and smiled. “Yeah, the Creator.”

Han frowned. He could not understand how Kokuo-5 would be taken in by such an easy lie. He looked down at the girl. After falling, she hadn’t tried to run away. Instead, she knelt on the ground, paralyzed with shock and fear, completely at Han’s mercy.

‘ _They know about the Creator, Han,_ ’ Kokuo-5 said as Han looked at the girl in front of him.

‘ _So? They could be wrong,’_ Han replied. Despite his conviction, part of him couldn’t help but wonder. 

‘ _What if they’re not? I miss him._ ’

‘ _The Creator?_ ’ Han was surprised. Despite sharing the same body with Kokuo-5 for decades, she had never expressed anything regarding Hagoromo.

‘ _He was my father,_ ’ she explained. ‘ _Before he sent us to the different nations to be joined with vessels, he told us that one day we would come together again. I have been looking forward to that day for a very long time, Han.’_

Han looked down at the girl again. She was kneeling on the ground and panting, too shocked to think of moving. She had missed a lot of opportunities to try running away. He thought about Kokuo-5’s words.

‘ _The girl could be wrong,_ ’ he rationalized. ‘ _She might have only half of the information correct._ _Danzo has given me a mission, I must complete it._ ’

‘ _If you try, I will stop you.’_ Han blinked, surprised at the threat. Kokuo-5 had never tried to interfere in any of his previous missions before. He contemplated how to reply.

‘ _Fine,_ ’ he said after a few seconds of consideration. ‘ _I will ask her what she knows. If her answer is not satisfactory, we have to kill her as stated by the mission instructions._ ’

‘ _Fine,_ ’ Kokuo-5 conceded. Han shook his head. The mission was a lot more troublesome than he had expected.

Underneath the mask of his armor, he bit his lip. He squatted down to meet the girl face to face. She looked resigned to her destiny, whatever it might be. Her cheeks were full of tears and half of her body was covered in dirt from where she had fallen earlier. His mission was beginning to feel like a far-off dream.

“What do you know about the Creator, child?” he asked. “Depending on your answer, I will let you leave.”

The girl looked up in surprise from her position on the ground. She gave him a sincere smile as quick as mercury.

“Hagoromo didn’t die,” the girl began.

“He was last seen a hundred years ago,” Han argued. “He was already an old man then. It’s not possible for him to still be alive.”

The girl shook her head. “We’ve been implanted with AI that makes us super strong and gives us superpowered abilities. Why is someone living more than one hundred years so hard to believe?”

Han hesitated. _Well, when you put it that way._.. Han waved his hand to tell the girl to continue. She nodded as she explained more.

“Naruto is the vessel of Kurama-9,” the girl said. “They’ve been talking for a while. Kurama-9 knows how to find the Creator.”

“How?” Han asked.

The girl smiled, bright as sunshine. “Nine has the ability to track him down,” she said. “The Creator will keep us safe. He’s been hiding for one hundred years in suspension annihilation.”

“Suspended animation?” Han corrected.

She nodded. “Yeah, that! Kurama-9 can track him down and together we can wake him up!”

She looked up at him, eyes full of hope and determination. Han hummed and frowned. The idea of the Creator still being alive was almost too good to be true. But if it was a lie, it was a lie that he wanted to believe.

For the first time in a very long time, Han wanted to abandon the military and never go back to working under Danzo’s thumb. For a second, his boyhood dreams came back-- of a home with his friends and family.

Han considered his options. He knew that no matter what they all wanted to believe, tracking down the Creator would only lead to heartache and disappointment. Yet...

Han sighed and sat down cross-legged on the ground. The girl looked up at him, awaiting his answer.

“I will help you, girl,” he said. “Part of me thinks there is nothing to gain at the end of this quest,” he admitted. “But... I want to believe it. I will let you go.”

At once, the girl’s eyes filled with tears, this time of relief. She slumped forward, dropping her forehead on the ground.

“Thank you, thank you,” she groveled. Han shifted uneasily. No one ever thanked him for anything.

“You’re not out of the woods yet, girl,” Han warned. “There is still a long journey ahead of you. For now, you are safe in my presence.”

She nodded, raising her head up. She wiped her nose with a bruised forearm before looking up to meet his eyes. She grinned. Something in Han’s heart warmed at the sight.

“Go find the other two vessels,” Han said, looking away in embarrassment at being thanked so profusely. “I will help you three.”

“Of course!” she said excitedly. Without hesitating, she whistled. Han blinked in surprise. Despite her small size, the sound carried for a long distance.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the two boys were running back to the clearing, holding hands. They clung to one another as they approached Han and the girl hesitantly. They glanced at Han in fear, but they walked closer once they saw the girl was free.

“What happened, Fuu?” the blond boy asked. 

_Fuu,_ Han repeated the name to himself.

“Eh, just a bit of a talk,” the girl lied. “The man says he wants to find the Creator, too.”

With that explanation, she stood up gingerly, rubbing at her bruised arms. Even with the augmentations, it would take over a day to heal completely. Han felt a stab of guilt pierce through his heart.

The two boys approached them warily. Upon reaching the girl-- Fuu, they ran to her and wrapped their arms around her midsection, not caring about the mud covering her. She hugged them back desperately. Han looked away.

“We need to get rid of the tracking chip,” Han interrupted once it seemed like their hug would never end.

“Tracking chip? What’s that?” Fuu asked.

Han raised an eyebrow. “How did you think I found you so fast?” he asked. “I followed your GPS signal here. All of us have been implanted with a way to track us down in case we escaped.”

Fuu nodded, looking shocked. She obviously had not known about the chip before escaping. “How do we get rid of it?” she asked desperately.

“It’s not going to be pretty,” Han admitted. “Our tracking chips are implanted at the nape of our necks. I will have to cut them out.”

Fuu’s face turned a shade of green as the two boys at her sides shivered. “Is it going to hurt?” the red-headed boy asked, crowding closer to Fuu.

Han opened his mouth. He considered lying, but it would be pointless. “It will,” he admitted. “But it will hurt more if you are captured by Danzo.”

The red-headed boy nodded reluctantly, pressing himself closer to Fuu. She wrapped an arm protectively around him.

“Who’s first?” the blond boy said, obviously trying to appear brave. The three children shared hesitant glances.

“Me,” Han answered immediately. 

Without hesitation, he took out a small dagger hidden from within his armor. He used his fingertips to feel around the nape of his neck until he found the small chip implanted underneath. Satisfied, he made a small incision. With the tip of the blade, he pulled the chip out, using his other hand to quench the blood flow while his augmentations worked on healing the wound.

He took the chip in his hand. He showed it to the children. The three children stared at him in awe and admiration. They looked at the bloodied chip with morbid fascination. Han placed it carefully on the ground. _I’ll make Danzo track me down to this location._

“It’s fast, but a little painful,” Han said. “Try not to move and I can take it out in seconds.”

“Y-yeah, Naruto, Gaara!” Fuu said. “It’s going to be easy, right?”

“Y-yeah!” the blond boy lied, shaking like a leaf. “It’s going to be fast, ya know!”

The red-headed boy remained silent, a frown the only sign of hesitation. Now that he was closer, Han could see that his forehead was tattooed with the old character for “love.” He wondered what kind of sick person would tattoo a child.

“Who wants to go first?” he asked.

The three children shared uneasy glances before Fuu stepped forward, a determined tilt to her chin. She obviously wanted to prove herself as the oldest of the three. 

“I’ll go,” she said before turning to smile shakily at the two boys. “I bet it won’t even hurt much!”

Han only sighed from where he was sitting on the ground. She gulped and walked toward him, turning her back to him. Han blinked in surprise. Despite the murder attempt only a few minutes earlier, she was letting him cut her open to extract a tracking chip. 

Han shook his head as he sterilized the blade with steam. _Children are a lot more forgiving than adults._ It didn’t take long for him to find the implanted chip. He cut it out in seconds. Fuu winced at the pain but made no other move.

“You’re very brave,” Han said before turning his gaze at the two boys, who were standing side by side. The blond was green around the edges while the red-headed boy looked so pale he was almost white.

“I-I’ll go,” the redheaded boy said before seating himself in front of Han.

As with Fuu, he cut out the chip in seconds. However, unlike Fuu, the boy began to cry at the end, running to her in tears. She hugged him reassuringly, whispering to him as she pressed her hand to the wound. Han placed the boy’s tracking chip next to his own and the girl’s.

 _One left._ The blond boy, still looking green, took a few reluctant steps forward before sitting in front of Han. He was shaking, but Han was an expert and he found and extracted the chip in seconds. At the end of the operation, the boy ran to where Fuu and Gaara were waiting, sobbing into Fuu’s midsection.

“Well, that’s that,” Han said, wiping the remaining blood on his armor and using steam to sterilize the dagger. “We’re ready to go.” Han stood up, stretched his arms over his head, and turned to walk away. 

“Wait!” the girl yelled, calling out to his back.

“What is it?” Han asked, a frown on his face. “We don’t have time to waste. We have to go now.”

Fuu bit her lip, nodding in understanding. “I know that... but... um... What’s your name?” she asked.

Han blinked. _Now that I think about it, I never gave them my name._

“Han,” he said. “My name is Han.”

Immediately, Fuu’s face broke into a grin. “Nice to meet you Mr. Han!” she said. “My name is Fuu! This is Gaara.” She pointed to the red-headed boy. “And this is Naruto!” She pointed to the still-sobbing blond boy.

“Nice to meet you too, Fuu,” he said. “But please, don’t call me Mr. Han. Just Han is okay.”

“Oh, okay, just... Han,” she promised. “Are you really going to come with us?”

Han grunted in assent. “I can’t go back to the city after everything I’ve just done,” he said. “Besides, there is now something that I want.”

“Something that you want?” Fuu asked.

“I want to see the Creator, too,” Han said.

**Author's Note:**

> You can take the “Found Family” trope from my cold dead fingers. I will write unconventional families even in a Dystopian setting.


End file.
